The image of a cauliflower field posted by the Assam minister has been used by Hindu extremists to glorify the mass killing of Muslims in Bhagalpur, with cauliflowers planted on the burial site to hide evidence
NEW DELHI – Netizens and activists have expressed their outrage and disbelief over Assam BJP leader Ashok Singhal’s social media post sharing cauliflowers with the caption “Bihar approves Gobi farming” after National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the Bihar polls on Friday.
Several social media users believe Singhal references the infamous 1989 Bhagalpur Logain massacre wherein 100 Muslims were killed and their bodies buried in a field with cauliflower saplings planted over them to hide the evidence.
Singhal is also Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Irrigation in Assam.
The reference in Singhal’s post to Logain incident drew immediate attention, with many users condemning the insensitivity of the post from a sitting minister.
While the phrase has long been used by Hindutva handles a coded threat of Muslim genocide, many X users pointed out that Singhal is not an ordinary social media user but a sitting cabinet minister, making his use of such inflammatory language even more alarming.
One user, giving context, wrote, “Context: The image of a cauliflower field posted by BJP’s Assam minister has been used by Hindu extremists to glorify the mass killing of Muslims in Bhagalpur in 1989, with cauliflowers planted on the burial site to hide evidence.”
Other users expressed disbelief, with one commenting, “No way this coming from a cabinet minister of Assam.” Another wrote, “Is this an official handle bcoz no way they just said that.” A third added, “What?? Really? I thought this is a parody account.”
Gargi Rawat, news anchor and environment reporter, expressed her disappointment. “A minister alluding to a massacre? We all know what Gobi farming means. Don’t think this is the right interpretation of the victory in Bihar,” she wrote on X.
Prateek Waghre, founder of Internet Freedom Foundation, also condemned the post, noting that the lack of consequences for such conduct reflects a deeper societal decay.
“That a political career will not fade into oblivion for this act alone tells you a lot about the state of Indian society today,” he wrote, adding, “Yes, people will report it, and it may even get taken down. But it is only a manifestation of a deeper rot. How do we fix that?”
Logain Massacre History
Violence erupted on 24 October 1989 and lasted for nearly two months, engulfing Bhagalpur city and 250 surrounding villages. Over 1,000 people were killed, including around 900 Muslims, while approximately 50,000 were displaced. At Logain village, 116 Muslims were killed by a mob of 4,000 people led by ASI Ramachander Singh. Their bodies were buried and concealed with cauliflower and cabbage saplings.
In 2007, 14 people, including the former police officer, were convicted and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment for their roles in the killings. The use of cauliflowers as a reference on social media has since become a symbol associated with the tragic massacre, making Singhal’s post deeply controversial.
